Democracy Dies in Darkness

Opinion Build stronger and safer communities in Baltimore

December 20, 2015 at 8:21 p.m. EST

Arthur Johnson Jr. carries a sign outside of the Baltimore City Circuit Court House East jury deliberated in the trial of a Balitimore police officer charged in Freddie Gray’s death. (European Pressphoto Agency/Shawn Thew)

Regarding Petula Dvorak's Dec. 18 Metro column, "After the mistrial in Baltimore, there's no script for what happens now":

The Freddie Gray trial reminds us that to bring justice to Baltimore, we must address the substantial challenges facing the city and make investments to build stronger, safer communities.

" The Right Investment?: Corrections Spending in Baltimore ," a report of the Prison Policy Initiative and my organization, showed that along with higher unemployment, more abandoned housing and lower incomes than the city average, Gray's community of Sandtown has the highest incarceration rate. Taxpayers spend as much as $17 million a year locking up people from that area.

Last week, the Maryland Justice Reinvestment Coordinating Council met for the last time this year to "develop a statewide framework of sentencing and corrections policies to safely reduce Maryland's incarcerated population, control corrections spending and reinvest in more effective, less expensive strategies to increase public safety and reduce recidivism." The council's recommendations are likely to be voted on in the next legislative session.

The recommendations are an important first step toward safely and smartly reducing Maryland’s prison population. By adopting them, including meaningful changes to the state’s drug sentencing and mandatory- minimum sentencing laws, legislators can reinvest funds to help people get jobs, education and housing. An enduring investment beyond the justice system will create strong, sustainable communities and help Baltimore find the justice it deserves.

Marc Schindler, Washington

The writer is executive director of the Justice Policy Institute.